From time to time, people suffer from various maladies of the eye. Among these maladies are problems related to either the optic nerve or the macula of the eye. These problems pose a number of difficulties to a doctor as these areas are considered to be hard to reach.
In the past, therapies for the macula and/or the optic nerve have been difficult to treat. Since these areas are difficult for surgeons to reach (using standard methods and procedures), the favored treatment has been injections of medication into the vitreous cavity. This has been problematic as treatments must take place on a routine basis (typically repeated every six weeks), and such injections yield a high risk of infection inside the eye (Endophthalmitis) and discomfort to the patient from the procedures.
Consequently, there is a continuing need for a medical treatment that would require a simple surgical procedure that would have long-lasting effects to prevent or abate maladies effecting the macula and/or the optic nerve which do not require continuing injections and the resulting ongoing risk of infection and patient discomfort. Such a treatment would be further enhanced by the provision of a drug delivery system that can be modulated for dose and time that would communicate the drug directly to the vicinity of the optic nerve or macula.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings nor the steps outlined in the specification. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways as those skilled in the art will readily ascertain from reading this specification. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention of employing implants engaged to the optic nerve to provide long term drug delivery to the optic nerve and macula. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent construction insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Further objectives of this invention will be brought out in the following part of the specification, wherein detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing the invention without placing limitations thereon.